Reason To Be (A Zouis Family AU)

Interlude Four, Extra Three

Boys and their Phobias
[the one where all the boys face their phobias — set at various points through time]

Harry Vs Heights
Harry is seven when the thing he hates more than anything in the world becomes known to everyone. He's done a good job of hiding it thus far...except now he's climbed all the way to the top of the indoor play area and he can see Dad and Papa and his brothers sitting at one of the tables a billion miles below but he can't get down.

Looking down doesn't seem to be helping either, if the panic thrumming through his chest and the nausea in his stomach is anything to go by. He blinks a few times and feels his bottom lip start to wobble as tears fill his vision, moving away from the netting securing the edges of the top level and moving to sit against one of the padded pillars in the middle of the space instead, curling his knees into his chest and wrapping his arms around them.

He's scared, and he isn't sure why he's scared but he's seven year old and in his mind, this is the most terrifying thing he's ever going to have to face in his entire life — he's trapped at the top and he can't get down, and that means he's going to be up there forever and he's never going to see his family ever again.

A whimper escapes him and he buries his face into his knees.

"Oh," someone says from above him. "Are you sad?"

He sniffles and looks up half way, keeping his lower half of his face nestled in his arms atop of his knees. A girl of maybe the same age as him is standing over him, red hair wavy to her elbows and eyes wide and concerned.

Harry sniffles again and shakes his head, because he isn't sad, he's just scared. He doesn't want the girl to think he's a baby though, because he isn't. He's brave. He just really wants to get down without falling.

The girl stares at him for a moment longer before she pouts and sits down in front of him, crossing her legs and hunching her shoulders up as she tilts her head to look at him. "You look sad. You can come down the slide with me if you want? That might cheer you up," she says kindly, but Harry shakes his head vehemently.

He cannot think of a single thing worse than going down the huge slide that leads from the top level all the way down to the ball pit at the bottom. It goes on forever and ever and if he slides down it, he might never get off.

He shakes his head again for good measure.

The girl stares at him some more then nods. "Okay. What's your name? I'm Hannah," she says with a grin.

Harry sniffs again and lifts his head a little more, feeling a little less scared now that he has someone with him. He would much rather have Daddy or Papa or one of his brothers, but Hannah is nice.

"Harry," he answers shyly, and she smiles.

"Cool. Wanna be my friend?" She asks, and he gives a small nod that makes her smile some more. "How comes you don't wanna go down the slide? It's really fun!"

He shakes his head in a panic. "It's - it's too long. I don't - I - I'm stuck," he says, even though he knows that maybe isn't entirely true. He definitely feels as if he is.

Hannah frowns. "Oh. You're scared?"

He gives a reluctant nod, done with pretending to be brave. They're friends now anyway, so he has to tell her the truth. Friends don't lie to each other, that's what Liam told him.